#357 Strategies for Social Anxiety | Ellen Hendriksen
Taming Anxiety Series - Episode 3: We usually reserve Fridays for special bonus meditations. But today we’re doing something a little different: we’ve got a brand-new full episode ready for you–the third in our four-part series on Taming Anxiety.
As we move into summer and more and more vaccines go into arms, your town or city (or state or country) may soon be opening back up, if it hasn’t already. Some of us are ecstatic. A lot of us are anxious. (And by the way, those are not mutually exclusive. It’s totally possible to be both.) If the thought of large crowds or even small dinner parties makes your palms sweat, don’t worry. You’re not alone. (And if this was true for you even before the pandemic, you’re not alone there, either.) Our guest today is here to help.
Ellen Hendriksen is a clinical psychologist who specializes in anxiety and social anxiety and serves on the faculty at Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. She is the author of How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety. In today’s episode she explains how to increase your tolerance for uncertainty; how and why social anxiety has gotten worse since the start of the pandemic; and, what you can do to face your own anxiety around social interactions, especially if you’re in a place that is reopening. She’ll also answer some questions from you, our listeners.
In addition to this series on the podcast, we are launching a free Taming Anxiety Meditation Challenge in the Ten Percent Happier app, to help you practice what you’re learning. In this brand-new ten-day meditation challenge, we’ll be pairing a leading anxiety expert and a top-notch meditation teacher together to help you practice what we’re talking about on the show. You’ll learn to lean into the things that make you anxious a little bit at a time, building up your tolerance and releasing you from fear. Instead of running away from your anxiety, you'll be able to skillfully welcome it to the party.
The free Taming Anxiety Challenge begins on Monday, June 21, and will run for ten days. Each day, you'll receive a video featuring yours truly and one of our experts, explaining what you're going to learn, and then you'll complete a short meditation. You'll also receive daily reminders to help keep you on track, and you can even invite your friends to join you. Join the Taming Anxiety Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app. You should be prompted to join the Challenge after registering your account. If you've already downloaded the app, just open it up or visit this link to join.
Where to find Ellen Hendriksen online:
Social Media
- Ellen Hendriksen’s previous episode on the TPH Podcast
Book & Video Course Mentioned:
- How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety
- Rise Above Social Anxiety video course
Other Resources Mentioned:
- Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders
- Katy Milkman, author of How to Change, on the TPH Podcast
- Choiceology Podcast
- Dolly Chugh on the TPH Podcast
- Stephanie Cassin, Neil Rector - Mindfulness and the attenuation of post-event processing in social phobia: an experimental investigation
Additional Resources:
- Ten Percent Happier Live: https://meditatehappier.com/live
- Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.meditatehappier.com/coronavirussanityguide
- Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://meditatehappier.com/care
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